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Album profile picture Kleurstof Ischico

The Dutch-Indian pianist Ischico Velzel is a musical explorer who gives classical music a contemporary twist by blending her own works with folk music, jazz, and improvisation. She creates a direct connection with her audience and brings hidden gems from the piano repertoire to light. Her adventurous approach merges genres and art forms, making her performances unique. Critics praise her expressive playing and fluid technique.

28th of March

Kleurstof is my debut album, where classical works and my own music come together. For me, music is a way to bring color to life—each track has its own shade. From the folk tales of Levina and Chebotarian to the rhythmic energy of Babadjanian and my own pieces, inspired by places and moments that shape me. Just as dye transforms water, I hope this music adds new colors to the listener’s world.

Album cover Ischico Kleurstof
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Biography

Dutch-Indian pianist Ischico is a musical explorer who creates direct connections with her audiences through every performance. Her adventurous spirit leads her to discover hidden treasures in the piano repertoire, while her original pieces and improvisations weave together classical traditions with folk music and jazz influences. Critics praise her playing as 'efortlessly expressive' and 'technically extremely fluent.'

Drawing inspiration from diverse artists like Tigran Hamasyan, Zara Levina, Nitai Hershkovits, Ethan Gruska, and Spinvis, Ischico moves fluidly between musical worlds. A natural collaborator, she brings classical music into dialogue with other art forms, working with visual artists, dancers, and theater makers. Her curiosity for undiscovered musical gems earned her first prize in the Lamond Prize with Medtner's Sonata-Skazka.

She has performed on prestigious international stages, including Amsterdam's Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, and her performances have been featured on (inter)national radio stations, including NPO Klassiek and SBS Australia. Ischico regularly performs abroad, with performances in Dublin, London, Glasgow, and Barcelona, and has been part of several festivals, such as the Grachtenfestival and the Glasgow Piano Festival. 

Ischico was classically trained in piano performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Barcelona's Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu and has participated in masterclasses by Dmitri Alexeev, Jacques Rouvier, and Hortense Cartier-Bresson. She has also received financial support from VSBFonds, Amarte Fonds, AFK, Heij Konijn Fonds, and Ars Donandi.

In addition to her love of making music, Ischico enjoys cooking, hiking with her friends during summer, and listening to all sorts of music while doing so. The simplicity of daily life and connection to the people around her inspires her music making in return.

calendar

Agenda

2023

11 of and 12th of January

Soirée Dada

https://dadahaarlem.com/de-soiree/

18th of February

De Muziekfabriek

NPO Klassiek

8th-17th of March

Schiermonnikoog Festival

12th of March

Solo-recital

Cultuurcentrum Jan van Besouw, Goirle

8th of April

Premiére Pianokwintet 'Tragico' van componist Teun van der Steeg

De Wingerd, Doetinchem

14th of April

Tableaux Pianoduo Recital

Velp

16th of April

Tableaux Pianoduo recital

't Mosterdzaadje, Santpoort Noord

13th of May

Amsterdam Piano Sessions

NDSM treehouse

22nd of May

Recital and masterclasses

Revius Lyceum, Doorn

7th of July

Solo Recital

Sandford Church, Dublin

11th of September

Concert voor S.E.M.

Museum Voorlinden

29th of September 12:00

Solo recital

Waalse kerk, Breda

15th of October

Solo Concert

De Verzameling, Westervoort

5th of November

Solo Recital

Theaterhuis Amalia, Oegstgeest

15th of December

Recital with Cathal Killeen 

Live at our Place, NDSM Treehouse

16th of December

Recital with Cathal Killeen (clarinet)

De Kapel, Hilversum

2024

14th of January

Solo Recital

't Mosterdzaadje
 

21st of January

Solo Recital

Theaterhuis Amalia, Oegstgeest

16-27 maart
Artist in Residence at Huis A. Kraak
Album development + concerts

7th of April 

Solo Recital

Vrienden Nicolaaskerk, Wijhe

 

11th of April

Private concert

Nijmegen
 

14th of April

Presentation of residency concert

Huis A. Kraak, Laren

21st of April

Recital with Santiago Luruena

't Mosterdzaadje
 

12th of May

Amsterdam Piano Sessions

'Treehouse NDSM
https://allevents.in/mobile/amp-event.php?event_id=10000887573745967

 

16th of May

Solo recital

Opus Amsterdam, Westerdok

 

23rd of  May 

Solo Recital

St Ann's, Dublin
 

24th of May

Solo Recital

Sandford Parish, Dublin
 

3-7th of June 

Album recordings with 7 Mountain Records

Westvestkerk

18th of June

With Florianne Remme

Recital for Grachtenfestival
Private recital

30th of June

Mini Summer Festival

Huis A. Kraak

27th of August

Grachtenfestival

Amsterdam

28th of September

Solo Recital
De Kapel, Hilversum

23 november

Recital at Kunstmaand Ameland with Florianne Remme
https://www.kunstmaandameland.com/evenement/ischico-en-florianne-op-vleugel-en-cello/?

7th of December

Solo Recital

St. John's Kirk, Perth, Scotland

 

2025
 

22th of February

Recital with clarinetist Santiago Lurueña

't Mosterdzaadje

13th of April

Recital at van Cappellenhuis

https://vancappellenhuis.stager.co/web/tickets

30th of May

Solo Recital

St. Andrew's Church, Ottawa, Canada

5th of October

Recital

Buitengewoon Klassiek, Theater de Bussel

The Tableaux Pianoduo was founded in 2020 and consists of the young Scottish/Dutch pianist Anna Michels and Ischico Velzel.

 

The duo enjoys performing adventurous and exciting repertoire and frequently includes improvisation in their concerts.

Recent performances include the Piano Festival in Glasgow, The Pianoduo Festival in Amsterdam and a recital in de Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague.

 

Anna Michels enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician and lecturer. She has been awarded several international prizes for her musicianship and is a recipient of the Cross Trust.

 

''There was an excellent balance between the pianos, and the phrasing was so well crafted and had a natural elegance to it that was very appealing'' 

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Santiago Lurueña and Ischico have a repertoire full of surprising and contrasting works from neo-classicist Poulenc to neo-romantic Castelnuovo-Tedesco. 

Born in Salamanca in 1994, Santiago studied at the Badajoz Conservatory of Music and earned a Master’s Degree at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen. He's performed with prestigious orchestras, enjoys exploring jazz and Klezmer music, and is actively engaged in chamber music with the Phasma Trio and Ischico.

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Duo Echo

Soprano Elizaveta Agrafenina and pianist Ischico Velzel met in Amsterdam. They soon discovered their unique musical taste connected them and so Duo Echo was formed.

 

The duo focuses on unique repertoire from the Netherlands, Spain and Russia. 

 

Works by female composers, e.a. H. Bosmans, A. de Larrocha and E. Kuypers, hold a significant place in their programs.  

Elizaveta is a part of the Young Artist Program at Bergen National Opera in Norway and has since 2017 sung in several productions, such as Werther by Massenet and La Clemenza di Tito by Mozart.

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info@ischico.com

+31 6 23213044

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